Atypically Slow Processing of Faces and Non-Faces in Older Autistic Adults

Autor/inn/en	Bathelt, Joe; Koolschijn, P Cédric M. P.; Geurts, Hilde M.
Titel	Atypically Slow Processing of Faces and Non-Faces in Older Autistic Adults
Quelle	In: Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 26 (2022) 7, S.1737-1751 (15 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Bathelt, Joe) ORCID (Geurts, Hilde M.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1362-3613
DOI	10.1177/13623613211065297
Schlagwörter	Cognitive Processes; Human Body; Task Analysis; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Accuracy; Age Differences; Recognition (Psychology); Brain Hemisphere Functions; Diagnostic Tests; Reaction Time; Comparative Analysis; Adults; Participant Characteristics; Intelligence Tests; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Cognitive process; Kognitiver Prozess; Menschlicher Körper; Aufgabenanalyse; Autism; Autismus; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Recognition; Wiedererkennen; Diagnostic test; Diagnostischer Test; Reaktionsvermögen; Intelligence test; Intelligenztest
Abstract	Face recognition is a fundamental function that requires holistic processing. Differences in face processing have been consistently identified in autistic children, but it is unknown whether these differences persist across the adult lifespan. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we measured holistic face processing with a rapid Mooney faces task in 50 autistic and 49 non-autistic participants (30-74 years). Behavioral tasks included a self-paced version of the same paradigm and a global-local processing task (Navon). Reduced detection rates for faces, but not non-faces, were found in autistic adults, including slower responses on all conditions. Without time constraints, differences in accuracy disappeared between groups, although reaction times in correctly identifying faces remained higher in autistic adults. The functional magnetic resonance imaging results showed lower activation in the left and right superior frontal gyrus in the autism group but no age-related differences. Overall, our findings point toward slower information processing speed rather than a face recognition deficit in autistic adults. This suggests that face-processing differences are not a core feature of autism across the adult lifespan. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01